


Vanilla Chai

by AppleJuice (frvits)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Coffee Shops, F/M, Fluff, High School Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 02:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5565478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frvits/pseuds/AppleJuice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school loves can develop over a cup of coffee</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vanilla Chai

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThereseRaquin (fanfiction.net)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ThereseRaquin+%28fanfiction.net%29).



> Written for my lovely reviewer on fanfiction.net, ThereseRaquin, who wanted me to do a Frazel. 
> 
> disclaimer: I don't own Rick Riordanish's characters and series.

  **Freshman year- October 2013**

Grindin' Beans was a popular hot spot for high schoolers in Frank's neighborhood. The smell of caramel mixed with hot shot cashiers usually repelled the Canadian freshman, but he was low on fuel and low on cash.

Frank knew the coffee shop was the closest one to his home, which was good for someone getting ready to pull an all-nighter on American History. Frank didn't necessarily like American History, and ultimately realized that he should have taken World History as soon as he walked into the classroom, but alas he did not, and Frank now had to pay the price.

The door opened smoothly, bombarding Frank with an overload of sweet scents and the sound of light chatter. For a Tuesday night in the middle of October, Frank wasn't expecting much of a crowded place, but this was ridiculous. There was no one there, but Frank, the lone cashier, and some girl sweeping.

Which was _amazing_ , because it would be less awkward when deciding what to drink.

"Can I help you? What do you want?" The cashier,asked, although he seemed a lot more interested in his phone than the paying customer in front of her.

Even though Grindin' Beans wasn't as popular as other commercial American coffee places, it definitely had all the millions of choices. Frank was extremely overwhelmed by the choices.

The cashier tapped something in her phone furiously, and Frank could feel the sweat bead on his forehead, as his eyes swept nervously across names.

"Uh-" Should he get the plain black, the sassy Mexican hot chocolate, or the idolized pumpkin spice? Frank hoped his nervousness wasn't coming off obviously to the cashier.

The girl who was sweeping was suddenly next to him.

"You should try the vanilla chai. It's really good here." The girl said, humming along to whatever pop ballad was playing throughout the empty shop.

Frank nodded appreciatively, and repeated the order to the texting cashier, along with his name. Frank couldn't really get why they needed his name, he was the only one in the shop.

"Frank, huh? Hazel!" The girl with the broom said, waving with a glove covered hand. She stuck out the hand, and Frank nearly shook it when he realized, _oh god the bacteria_.

"Uh." seemed to be the only thing Frank could say so far.

Hazel looked embarrassed and retracted the hand. "Yeesh, sorry. Bad first impression, I guess?"

Frank smiled and laughed. "Not too bad. I've seen worst."

Hazel beamed back, and the two fell into a silence, as Hazel begun he's sweeping again.

"Frank?" The cashier said, thrusting a cup into his hands.

Frank cringed at the scribbled, " _Fhank_ " and took a sip.

Hmm, Hazel was right, it was really good.

Frank glanced down at his watch. _Shoot_ , 8:15 and he _still_ needed to study for the History test.

* * *

"Frank, right?"

Frank looked up from his laptop, to see the cleaning girl from a week ago.

"Yeah. Hazel, right?"

"Mhm!" Hazel nodded, sliding into the seat in front of Frank. Hazel was still in her uniform, and the black apron around her waist was nearly taken off, and folded on top of the table.

Frank blinked, not sure what to say or do, before turning back to his English essay.

It took a paragraph before Hazel said something again.

"I have an extra croissant." Hazel hummed, sliding the pastry across the table.

"Thank you," Frank mumbled, shuffling his papers to avoid crumb damage.

"I also have another vanilla chai." Hazel smiled, sliding a medium sized cup across the table.

Frank stared at the Styrofoam cup, then glanced at Hazel. Hazel was smiling, avoiding his gaze by looking at everything but the Zhang in front of her.

"Thanks?" Frank shrugged and sipped the drink. His grandmother would probably disapprove of him accepting food from strangers, but Frank was a little hungry from smelling the food around him.

Hazel wasn't a stranger, was she? After all, strangers didn't know each other's names.

The only reason why Frank was sitting by himself with a laptop open at 57%, was because the rain was coming down too hard to actually finish walking home. The coffee shop looked warm enough to provide a safe refuge long enough for the rain to let out. So far it's been 30 minutes, three online games, and a paragraph of the comparisons between _Romeo and Juliet_ and _A Midsummer Nights Dream_ , and the rain hasn't even begun to give a sign of becoming lighter.

"You're welcome!" Hazel beamed and hummed along to the music playing overhead.

* * *

It became a pattern.

Frank went to work on home work, and Hazel brought a hot drink and a pastry.

It was always vanilla chai.

Sometimes, Frank came over just to go to the shop. he typically avoided Fridays and the weekends, as those were the busier days with even more people from Frank's school.

Nevertheless, Hazel was always a pleasure to be with. She had made simple conversation in the beginning until it generally became them telling the other all about themselves. It was a fun thing for Frank, and it occupied most of his time.

He liked Hazel and her vanilla chais.

* * *

Frank sniffled. Getting sick, and then deciding to walk outside probably wasn't the best idea of his life.

But Frank needed to buy more cough medicine to avoid getting sick, as ironically sick as that was.

So there Frank was, holding a bag of various meds to get rid of his sinuses when he walked into someone.

"Oh my _gosh_ , I'm so sorry- _Frank_?"

Frank had to bend down to pick up the cough syrups, and looked up to see a concerned Hazel. Hazel's hair nearly slipped into Frank's mouth, as the girl grasped for bitter grape-flavored bottles.

"Hazel? Uh, thanks." Frank turned red, and he coughed awkwardly in his elbow.

The girl smiled and handed another bottle to him. "No problem! Hope you feel better!" Hazel grinned and continued walking.

Frank wasn't sure whether he was blushing or just really sick.

* * *

One day, Hazel was out sick.

Frank spent time, waiting around Grindin' Beans, twiddling his thumbs until the empathetic cashier asked if he was going to order probably did look a little bit pathetic, and lonesome, as he stood, waiting for someone who wasn't coming.

The employee had thought Frank got stood up on a date, and in a way, Frank felt like he did.

He ordered a vanilla chai and waited.

It took three minutes to make(which was slower than how Hazel made it). It didn't taste like it normally did.

It tastes like disappointment and loneliness, and Frank left immediately.

The employee never questioned why there was a nearly full cup of vanilla inside thee trashcan by the door. She didn't ask why Frank left in such a hurry either.

* * *

Frank sighed as he put the book back.

The library's books on mystery novels that weren't thrillers, were surprisingly low. He was at the end of his patience as the last book he found belonged in the kid's section as it was titled, _Who took Sarah Jenner's lunchbox?_ Frank most definitely did not want to know who took Sarah Jenner's lunchbox.

He walked into the next aisle and sighed again. The mystery section was finished, spilling over into the Thrillers.

Frank wasn't interested in any genre else and figured it was about time to go home anyway.

He stopped when he saw Hazel sleeping on one of the chairs.

The girl was an angel, surrounded by pretty hair and tiny hearts and sparkles that might have been part of Frank's imagination. She was breathing softly and was huddled next to piles and piles of books.

Hazel was beautiful.

Frank turned around and saw the Romance section. Maybe he should pick up a few books on the topic.

* * *

**Sophomore year- August 2014**

Hazel walked down the empty halls. She was late on her first day of school, which felt like the worst thing she could ever do.

It wasn't _her_ fault the neighbors thought last night was the perfect night to throw a karaoke party. Although hearing drunks sing what they _thought_ was Elvis Presley, was the perfect way to get a few laughs.

Hazel slid into the classroom door, trying to ignore the stares on her back. She knew she was the new kid and was shorter and younger than the rest of them, but that didn't mean they had to _stare_.

The teacher accepted her late pass and continued back to discussing some kind of summer project that was due.

Hazel took the seat in the front, avoiding all eye contact. The person to the right of Hazel cleared his throat.

"Ahem." He said, and Hazel turned to look at him, with her eyes widening.

"Hi, Frank?" She said, unsure if the Asian next to her was actually the Asian she spent most of her job chatting with. It _looked_ like him.

"Hi, Hazel." Frank gave a small wave, and Hazel smiled.

Maybe being the new kid wasn't _too_ bad.

* * *

In all honesty, Hazel expected it.

She knew that when she was nervous, she was sometimes a bit of a klutz. Which explained why there was chocolate pudding on Frank's shirt.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" The Southern belle squeaked, wiping her napkin on Frank's shirt.

Frank smiled and held Hazel's wrist to stop smudging the treat into a brown oblivion.

"It's fine. No problem, really." Frank said, and Hazel's heart fluttered like a butterfly taking off for the first time.

"Oh. Well, I _really_ am sorry." Hazel apologized, rambling on.

Frank untied his jacket from around his torso and pulled it on.

"It's fine, Hazel," Frank said reassuringly, as he zipped up the jacket.

Hazel acknowledged how close she was to Frank's surprisingly side chest and leaned back. "Sure?"

"Completely," Frank said, resting his hand on Hazel's, completely oblivious to the way it made Hazel want to fly.

"Okay."

* * *

Hazel tugged on Frank's jacket.

"Uhm, Frank?"

Frank looked down at Hazel. "Yes?"

Hazel looked down at the ground, not exactly sure how to say what she wanted to say. " I like your shirt. I like it a lot."

Frank blushed and nodded. "Thank you. I like your hair today."

"Thanks." Hazel smiled, but inside she was horrified. Did she really just do that? ' _I like your shirt?_ '. Hazel wanted to hurt herself for saying something as stupid as that. There were other ways to make a guy notice you, _beside_ compliments that Hazel sucked at making.

But it made Frank blush, which was good news. Maybe next time she'll say something more flattering, and more romanticized.

* * *

"Whoa, dudes, you like, totally like, need to kiss or something." some drunk girl giggled, and sauntered off.

Hazel was extremely grateful for her more darker skin color, or else she would've been as red as- _Frank_ , really.

The Asian-Canadian was like a red stop sign, as he stated upwards at the mistletoe.

Hazel inwardly giggled, because she would have to later thank her good friend, Dakota, for decorating his annual Christmas Party like the perfect Christmas dream. Mistletoe kisses and alcoholic eggnog included.

They had gone to the party together, arriving as friends (and Hazel hoped they left as something more romantic), in an attempt to have some 'adventure' in their lives. Hazel was friends with Dakota, who just happened to have the _best_ Christmas bash every year.

"Traditions?" Frank accepted his fate, and Hazel nodded.

The kiss was overly awkward.

Frank's arms wrapped around Hazel's waist in an awkward position, and Hazel needed to stand on the tip of her toes to actually reach Frank's lips.

Frank's lips were as smooth as Hazel imagined them, and her arms wrapped around his neck. Fireworks exploded in the back of Hazel's mind, and she hopes Frank couldn't feel her smile against him. Both of them were fairly unsure what to do for the brief five seconds (was it really that quick, because it felt like hours) of lip touching lip.

Hazel, was surprisingly the one to pull away first, even when her brain was screaming not to. She smiled, and linked fingers with Frank, who smiled back and rested his forehead on hers.

The kiss was awkward, and Hazel wanted nothing more.

* * *

Hazel stared at the animal, with peaked interest.

"Oh my gosh, Frank, look!", she said excitedly and pointed to the sea lion balancing a red ball on its nose.

"Oh my _gosh_ , Frank, look!" Hazel squealed, looking at the baby lizards, crawling around.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Frank. _Look_! " Hazel gasped, pulling Frank's arm to see the panda's.

Best. First. Date. Ever.

* * *

**Junior year- February 2016**

Frank blinked at the inside of his locker.

This was highly unusual. He didn't normally have pink post-it's, a box of chocolates, a stuffed panda bear, and a cup of coffee in his locker. Next to him, Hazel struggled with opening her own locker, barely concealing a smile.

" _I like your smile."_ Frank read one of the post-its out loud and turned to Hazel.

Hazel gave Frank a grin through the mirror hanging on the inside of her locker door.

" _I like your voice_." Frank read silently as Hazel shifted through her textbooks and notebooks.

_I like your hair._

_I like your shirts._

_I like your choice in women._

_I like your accent._

_I like your music choices._

Frank smiled at a number of notes, stuffed in his locker, and couldn't wait to get to finish reading the rest of the lot at home. He pushed the chocolates and the panda in his bag, hoping they don't get ruined inside.

"Happy Valentines Day," Hazel whispered into his ear, as Frank sipped the coffee cup.

Naturally, it was vanilla chai.

The cup had the best note of them all:

_I love you._

* * *

"Frank." Hazel nodded, sweeping the small café.

Grindin' Beans had become more of a second home to both Frank and Hazel, and it became _their_ spot. Hazel still worked there, even after two years, which neither of them minded in the slightest.

Frank plugged in his laptop to the familiar outlet and began typing his research paper. It was due in about a week, which was practically pointless, being as how it was already May, and the school would be let out for the summer in a matter of time. Then the couple would become seniors, and glide through their last year of high school together.

Which brought up the problem Frank wanted to talk to Hazel about.

"Alright, Frank, you have me at your disposal for about an hour now," Hazel said, tying her hair up into a bun.

Frank closed his laptop and accepted his chosen drink of choice.

"Hazel. We need to talk."

Hazel straightened out, and stared at Frank, with a look of pure shock. "You're not," she swallowed slowly," breaking up with me?"

Frank hesitated, which caused Hazel's eyes to widen, and he quickly went to fix his mistake. "No! No- of course not, Haz. I'm not- _can't_ _be_ \- breaking up with you."

Hazel sighed in relief, and her mood lightened. "So what is it?"

Frank set down his cup and stared into Hazel's eyes. "College."

* * *

**Senior Year- June 2017**

Hazel beamed as she spun around in her dress, throwing her heels in the air.

Frank stuck out his hand, asking for her hand to dance. "Would you like to dance, my Queen?" Frank joked.

Hazel curtsied. "Why, of course, your Royal Highness." She giggled, as Frank pulled her body along.

The spun and waltzed and tangoed and cha-cha'd around the field, swaying to Frank's playlist playing through Hazel's car, parked to the side.

Dandelions flew around them, the white pollen floating magically in the sunset, as the couple giggled and danced on each other's toes.

Hazel collapsed, utterly exhausted from dancing, and Frank fell down right next to her.

"How did you find this field?" Hazel breathed out, tired from the motions she was doing.

Frank shrugged. "We were supposed to be going to prom. But here we are."

Hazel turned her head to look at Frank and laughed. "This is why we use maps to not get lost on the way to a restaurant."

Frank laughed too and sat up. Fireflies floated around the two, as they watched the sunset. A Beatles song played quietly in the background, leaving them in content silence until Hazel stood up.

"Wait, right here," Hazel said, pulling her prom dress as she ran to her car.

Not a moment too soon, Hazel appeared again with two cups and a bag of donuts.

She plopped down next to Frank and handed him a drink. He didn't have to guess what it was.

"I really, really, _really_ , like you, Frank Zhang." Hazel sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I really, really, _really_ , like you too, Hazel Levesque," Frank responded, biting into a chocolate frosted donut.

Hazel leaned in to kiss Frank, who leaned in to close the distance faster.

Hazel tasted like vanilla chai and sprinkles.

Frank absolutely loved the taste and went in for more.


End file.
